New research has discovered a less invasive method for studying the composition of mummies. Instead of taking samples from the bandages, scientists can now just analyze the compounds through smell.
A team of scientists has identified a new, non-destructive way to unlock the secrets of mummification in ancient Egypt: analyze odor molecules that still remain in bodies thousands of years later.
Researchers at the University of Bristol successfully captured and analyzed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by ancient mummies, which revealed new information about the substances used in embalming practices that spanned nearly two millennia. Their findings were in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
Traditionally, the study of mummification materials required the cutting small pieces of ligature or tissue and its dissolution to determine its chemical composition. However, this method can damage and even degrade the molecules that researchers want to study. With the limited amount of material available from each mummy, archaeologists have long sought less invasive alternatives.
The Bristol team then turned to the air around the mummies. VOCs — microscopic molecules that evaporate easily and become airborne — carry distinct olfactory signatures. By sealing the samples in a chamber and allowing them to “breathe,” researchers were able to collect and analyze these gases using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, techniques that identify specific chemical compounds.
The study examined 35 samplesincluding resin, textile bandages and human tissue, from 19 mummies dated between 2000 BC and 295 AD The remains, kept in museums across Europe and the United Kingdom, represent almost the entire historical period of mummification practices in ancient Egypt. Previous chemical analyses, carried out in 2006, provided a benchmark to test the reliability of the new approach.
The results revealed that embalming recipes have evolved significantly over time. The first mummies were usually treated with simpler mixtures of fats and oils. In later periods, however, embalmers incorporated more complex and expensive ingredients, including beeswax, vegetable resins, bitumen, and oils derived from pine, juniper, and cedar. These aromatic substances not only masked the odors associated with death, but also helped to preserve the bodyrepelling pests and microbes, says .
Scientists previously described the scent of mummies in a 2025 study at Cairo’s Egyptian Museum as “woody”, “spicy” and “sweet”. The new research goes further, directly linking these sensory impressions to identifiable chemical compounds.
